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CDC: E-Cigarette Poison Center Calls on the Rise

According to the CDC's Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report, the number of e-cigarette-related poison center calls has risen significantly from 2010 to 2014.

Nationwide, poison centers have reported a dramatic increase in the quantity and proportion of e-cigarette-related calls monthly. E-cigarette calls rose from 1 per month in September 2010 to 215 per month in February 2014, while the volume of calls involving conventional cigarettes remained unchanged. The proportion of e-cigarette calls relative to conventional cigarettes climbed from 0.3% to 41.7% over the same time period.

Electronic cigarette poisonings were more likely to involve reports of adverse events (eg, vomiting, nausea, eye irritation) than similar exposures to conventional cigarettes. Furthermore, 51.1% of e-cigarette calls to poison control centers involved children <5 years old.

Currently, liquid nicotine intended for refilling e-cigarettes does not require childproof packaging and is also available in candy and fruit flavors that appeal to children. Poisonings from these liquids occur as a result of exposure through the skin or eyes, by inhalation, or by ingestion. In contrast, ingestion alone represents the majority of conventional cigarette poisonings in young children.